


somewhere in the crowd there's you

by pirateygoodness



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, canon-typical alcohol use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-20
Packaged: 2019-08-26 10:59:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16680352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pirateygoodness/pseuds/pirateygoodness
Summary: Kara Danvers doesn't hear James and Lena have their fight outside her apartment, but Supergirl does. (Spoilers for episode 4.06)





	somewhere in the crowd there's you

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know, I just really wanted them to feel soft and take care of each other. Title is from ABBA's "Super Trouper," in case it wasn't already stuck in your head.

Kara Danvers doesn't hear James and Lena have their fight outside her apartment, but Supergirl does. 

(Kara Danvers gets three concerned texts from her mom and one from Brainy suggesting that her friend Lena might need a little support after her argument with James.) 

(Supergirl flies away from her apartment building with a knot in the pit of her stomach, because two of her best friends are dating each other and she wants both of them to just be happy forever.) 

She sends a message to check in with Lena after breakfast the next day, once Alex and J'onn have gone home. _How are you?_ with the smiley-face emoji that looks the kindest. 

Lena doesn't send anything in reply. 

Four hours later, Kara messages again, a little more pointedly. _I heard you and James had a fight after I left yesterday. You okay?_

Kara checks back again that night. It's close to nine and her texts haven't even been marked as read and she's just about ready to change into her super suit and go looking for Lena when she sees the message alert pop across the top of her phone. _Fine_ is all Lena says. There's another text that follows, one emoji of the little hand making an "OK" sign and the glass of wine. 

That's not great. 

Kara taps over to her messages, watches the little typing ellipses appear and disappear from Lena's side of the conversation four times before they stop. She holds her phone out in front of her, stares at Lena's lack of response and thinks about the right way to nudge her into replying. Her friend instincts are shouting at her to find Lena, to give her a hug, as if somehow that could fix all of this right away. 

(A part of her just wants to fly through the city and do just that.)

Supergirl wasn't there to see Lena's tears after that fight but she could hear them, the wobble in Lena's voice and the soft, tight sound she always makes with the back of her throat when she's biting back tears.

Kara texts a reply. When Lena gets upset like this, she always screens her calls. _Are you at home?_ she says. 

_I guess_ , Lena replies. Kara's stomach twists again, that feeling that makes her understand the phrase _sick with worry_ and she pulls at the hem of her shirt. 

Supergirl flies across the city to Lena's building with her heart hammering in her throat, like it's a real emergency. 

Lena's building is a lot like her, in some ways. It's expensive and shiny and very nice, and every time Kara thinks that she can practically hear Snapper Carr over her shoulder, teasing her about her tortured similes. But it _is_ , and Snapper's not here, and sometimes indulging in flowery inner prose helps Kara calm herself down. She thinks about all of the ways the inside of the lobby, with its stupid gold-plated lion statue contrasting with the weird modern art that looks like water droplets frozen in midair, is a lot like her best friend Lena Luthor who is probably alone in her condo feeling upset about a fight with her boyfriend. 

Kara focuses on all the things she knows. She doesn't _know_ that Lena's upset. Maybe she's having a great time. Maybe she and James are done fighting entirely. Maybe they're having an amazing time doing something super sexual and the OK emoji just was code for a sex act Kara hasn't heard of yet. At that thought Kara squints, makes a face and tries not to follow her train of thought down to its logical conclusion. But enthusiastic, sexual wine finger stuff is better than fighting and upset. 

Kara knows the doorman working tonight. His name is Karl, he loves the National City Sharks and he agrees with Kara on where to get the best pizza in town. She knows that if she smiles and chats with him for a little while and explains that her dear friend Ms. Luthor probably forgot to mention she was coming over, on account of how busy she's been, he'll let let her up without any trouble. 

 

Lena opens the door wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of lounge pants, the floaty grey ones with little pink roses on them. Kara remembers them because Lena bought them while they were shopping together. She remembers teasing Lena about how they were old lady pyjamas, and how Lena had rolled her eyes and bought them anyway. They swish around Lena's calves as she stands in the doorway, hand on one hip, looking at Kara. 

Lena's cheeks are a bit pink and her eyes are rimmed red but she looks remarkably put together, considering. "I thought this building was supposed to be secure," Lena says. It's a joke, and for a moment she manages it: her eyes go soft and bright and she gives Kara a half-hearted smile. 

"I thought you needed some company," Kara says. 

Lena's expression wobbles, almost breaking into a frown before she catches herself and smoothes it back into neutrality. "Come in, Kara." 

The TV is already on, the screen frozen on some Netflix movie about people falling in love at Christmas. There's a bottle of wine that's half-full on the counter and an empty glass beside it. "Can I get you something to drink?" Lena asks. 

"Just water," she says. 

Lena shrugs, pours a glass of wine for herself to finish off the bottle and a glass of water for Kara. Kara puts away her shoes and her coat and takes a moment to listen; the apartment's empty except for the two of them. 

So, no sexual wine finger stuff with James, then. 

Lena walks back to the couch, wordless. She's made herself a little nest there, cushions and blankets arranged just so and she sinks into them as if she'd never left at all. Kara follows. There's space for her on the other end of the couch and she rests her back against the arm so that she's mostly facing Lena. She tucks one knee underneath herself and the other leg she stretches out, the length of it running parallel to Lena's. She wiggles her sock against the outside of Lena's thigh, taps it until she at least forces a smile and rests her hand against Kara's ankle. 

They watch the second half of Lena's movie about - Kara doesn't really know. Someone's a long-lost princess, and there's a small town and a hunky lumberjack and a Christmas miracle and it doesn't really matter because she spends the whole time watching Lena watch the movie. 

The main character kisses the lumberjack in front of a Christmas tree and the music swells. Offscreen, the tears that Lena's been holding back since Kara arrived start to fall. 

Kara hasn't seen Lena Luthor cry, before. Not like this. 

Lena cries, very suddenly, like something's been torn out of her. Something inside her gives way to loud hiccupping sobs and Kara feels each one of them inside her own heart. She doesn't know what to say.

She says something, mumbly nonsense along the lines of _hey_ and _come here_. Her tone is soothing, and that's probably what really helps. Lena looks up at her, eyes dark and brimming with tears and the sight of her makes tears of sympathy start to prickle behind Kara's eyes. 

Kara shuffles down the couch toward Lena, who tucks her knees underneath herself. She shuffles the blankets she's got wrapped around herself, inviting Kara into the warm softness of her little couch cocoon. Once Kara's settled, Lena tucks her head into the curve of Kara's shoulder, and cries.

"Lena," Kara whispers against the top of her head. "Hey, you're alright." 

She wraps her arms around Lena's back and hugs her as tightly as she dares, rubs little circles across the soft fabric of her t-shirt. Lena's breath hitches, a soft pause in the rhythm of her sobs, and tucks herself closer into Kara's arms. 

It's minutes before Lena's sobs give way to sniffles, and finally to calm. The upper part of Kara's shirt is soaked through by the time Lena looks up. She reaches up, tries to dab delicately at the tears clinging to her cheeks before she gives up and swipes at them with the edge of her sleeve. Kara reaches up to help, cups Lena's face in her hand and runs her thumb across her cheek, until the last of Lena's tears fall away.

Lena rolls her eyes, tries to laugh. "So, my boyfriend and I had a fight." 

"I heard." 

"And here I am, sobbing into your arms about it like some -" Lena takes a deep breath, pauses to think. 

Kara cuts her off before she can speak whatever self-deprecating joke she's about to make. "You're allowed to be upset," she says. "James is important to you." 

Lena sighs. "Still," she says. "I'm a Luthor. We don't do emotional displays." 

Kara rolls her eyes, in earnest. "No," she says, "No. We're gonna - first, we're gonna stop watching movies about people falling in love, okay. And second, you and James are just - you're good together, alright? You're both just - stubborn. I know you'll figure it out. But you don't have to figure it out tonight." 

Lena's body language seems to soften. Her smile is still a little watery, and it wobbles a little when she asks, "You think so?" 

Kara wraps her arms back around Lena's shoulders, pulling her close. It's a move that always seems to work on Alex when she's upset, and when she tries it with Lena she earns a giggle and Lena's hands bracing against her waist. "I know so," Kara replies. "Now, we're going to find something to watch to cheer you up." 

Lena laughs. She settles into a position facing the television, her knees up against her chest and the rest of her tucked against Kara's side. Kara's arm seems to fall naturally across her shoulders and she keeps it there. "No musicals," Lena says. 

"What about nature?" Kara asks, squeezing Lena's upper arm. "Is nature boy-neutral?" 

Lena nods, then adds, "But no penguins." 

"Penguins?"

"They mate for life," Lena says in a small voice. She sounds a little more like herself. "It's romantic." 

"No penguins," Kara repeats. 

This, she can do. She can sit and flick through her favourite David Attenborough docuseries and hold Lena close to her side. She can point out all of the best tropical birds and the cutest jungle cats and do her very best to make Lena giggle.

Maybe it's not very much. Maybe it's not that important, compared to everything else that's been happening these days. But seeing Lena - her Lena - look a little happier, even if it's only for an hour or so, feels like it's worth it. 

She'll take the win.


End file.
